~A Bitter Swallow~

Ok, so that whole "100 Days" thing didn't work out so well for me.  I've started to notice that I don't do well with things when they start to become "required" of me- even if those requirements come from myself.  As soon as I try to start "making" myself do something, it's like my entire being rebels as much as possible.  I think my inner child is a tweenager. 

I recently discovered that I am possible seriously allergic to metronidazole.  Or at least I had many of the "severe" reactions that should have prompted me to discontinue the medication and call my doctor, had I known what I was experiencing was a reaction to the medication and not me losing my freaking mind.   I've highlighted the symptoms I experienced.

"Dizziness, headache, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, constipation, changes in taste, and dry mouth may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly."

I had headache (which I always have, so could have been unrelated), nausea (again, that's normal for me), changes in taste (that was weird.. I had a hard time even drinking water), and dry mouth.

 "Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: unsteadiness, seizures, mental/mood changes (such as confusion), numbness/tingling of hands/feet, painful urination.

Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: eye pain, severe/persistent headache, sudden vision changes, stiff/painful neck, sore throat, persistent fever, unusual bleeding/bruising, severe stomach pain, persistent nausea/vomiting.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing."

This is where it got interesting.  I'm going to copy and paste what I posted on my Facebook page.

"I have another story about something that happened to me today. It kind of freaked me out a bit, so maybe one of you out there have experienced it or something. I was sitting at the desk at work, already not feeling well (headache and stomachache). Suddenly I got this pressure in my right eye. The only way I can think of to describe it is that it felt like it bubbled up... like a balloon or someone blowing bubbles. It made me think of fish eyes. My vision got all distorted, and my head went all weird. It was like being in a kaleidoscope, complete with the turning. I blinked a couple of times, hoping it would clear, but it didn't. It got worse. I had to get up and go hide in the back room, close my eyes, and force myself to breathe calmly. After five or so minutes I was finally able to see enough to go back to work. I was honestly afraid for a bit there that I was going to have to go get someone to take me to the hospital.. I will say that, other than the preceding and following headache (it got worse after, for sure), it never actually hurt. It was just pressure but mostly that whole tilted feeling/vision. Yesterday I started to feel ill, and it came on sudden. I've felt crappy all day today (especially after aforementioned experience) and just feel 100% off-kilter.. I'm not sure what is going on... If it happens again, I will go see a doctor."

I'm not even sure which of those symptoms that covers, but I see things about vision changes, eye pain, confusion, etc... That whole thing freaked me the fuck out, to put it lightly.  I thought I was stroking out.  

Then, I actually had to call out of work on Monday, because I honestly thought I was losing my fucking mind.  I can't even explain why I felt that way, but my head was so unscrewed that I could not handle it anymore.

 Now, I'm sure that I already have enough mental crap going on in my head.  I picked a really messed up time to take that medication.  My emotional / mental state was already unsteady. Then I went and threw that on top of it, and holy shit.  I never, ever , ever want to experience that again.   I felt like I had been on meth for a couple weeks nonstop... so the twitchy, shaky feeling combined with the not sleeping or eating for days on end, etc etc.   It was not a good feeling at all.  To say that it was a relief to discover that all of the symptoms I was experiencing were most likely caused by the antibiotic would be like saying a Wizard of Oz style tornado is a soft breeze...

I realized on the last day of my treatment that I had a rash, and then noticed that I had been having trouble breathing (I noticed these before being made aware of the side effects of the drug).  It was like I could not take a full breath, and that my lungs just could not fill with the oxygen they wanted.  
 
So, take this as a public awareness notice-  if you get prescribed metronidazole and start going insane... call your doctor.  Chances are it's just the drug.   Or you might be going insane.  Either way,  your doc should probably be made aware.   

Surprisingly, I still made myself get onto my treadmill for at least 15 minutes of actual jog/run time most every day.  I did take the weekend off, but I don't feel guilty about that.  I've kept myself active, and gotten shit done.  I got all of my plants transplanted into their respective garden beds/ planters.  I've gotten the birdcage cleaned out and will begin my fairy house in it this week.  I'm getting outside and enjoying the weather when it's nice, and doing stuff around the house that needs to get done.  I need to be more on top of food, though, and getting my water drank.  I'm pretty sure I'm getting rather dehydrated.